Race Coverage
So Hard, So Fun...
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Tuesday, 10 March 2015 01:10
By Suzie Fox (suz--news.blogspot.com - March 6)
It is March! Only 8 days away from my first triathlon of 2015! My bike is in route to Puerto Rico & last weekend I got to be a part of US Snowshoe Racing history by competing in the inaugural Half Marathon Snowshoe National Championship in Eau Claire, WI. (A nationals over 10k has never been contested). It's been quite a wild ride training for both Half Marathon Snowshoe Nationals AND 70.3 Puerto Rico at the same time, all while being extremely cautious of a (fingers crossed) newly healed stress fracture. Biking in a ridiculously HOT bathroom has given me bloody noses, headaches & nausea while 'shoeing has left me with frostbite & ankle bruises...BUT I've loved every minute of it!
After IMWI I heard that Snowshoe Nationals were coming to Wisconsin for 2015. I had never tried snowshoeing but knew I wanted in! But then before the first snowfall I was diagnosed with my stress fracture. It crossed my mind that this might not be my year to take on a new sport but then I thought, nah if I waited for the perfect time to do everything I would be sitting around my house watching life pass me by. Is there ever a perfect time for anything? Nope! Just get out there & do it! ...
Friendly Rivalry...
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Monday, 09 March 2015 01:10
Photo - L - R - Jeff Gilmer and Scott Ransom.
By Jeff Gilmer (excerpted from Facebook)
Today (March 1) was the Lifetime Indoor Tri at Maple Grove, MN. While this Tri is really for fun, it also represents my second test for 2015 after nursing back from my torn Achilles last September, more on that later. It’s also a great time to enjoy the triathlon life with friends, and today it was to include Mary Deeg, Scott Ransom, Christine Shelton and Jordan Roby. We had a couple last minutes changes in the line-up, Mary had surgery on her ankle and Jordan came down with a cold so they were unable to participate. Mary agreed to take the photos today, provide support and cheer us on. Christine had a great day, she and I shared a swim lane, and the three of us raced side by side on the bike and the run. Christine looked great, we could tell her training has paid off and she was all smiles.
A little history here, Scott and I met 2009 at the Y in spin class. In 2010, we both we entered IMWI, Scott the veteran and I a very naïve triathlete. We trained together some, supporting each other. Scott obviously could pretty much swim, ride or run away from me with ease. His ability showed as he took first in our age group at IMWI qualifying for 2011 Kona....
Last Season, This Season...
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Saturday, 07 March 2015 06:10
MINNESOTA ROCKS! - Nine Minnesotans were honored recently by USAT for their racing excellence in 2014. The next most decorated state was California (8), followed by Florida (7) and Colorado (7). New Jersey (6) rounded ou the Top 5. To recap, here are the honored Minnesotans:
Gwen Jorgensen - Elite ITU Racer of the Year
Ruth Brennan Morrey - Elite Duathlete of the Year
Dan Hedgecock - Elite Duathlete of the Year
Heather Lendway - Amateur Athlete of the Year
Matthew Payne - Amateur Duathlete of the Year & Athlete of the Year HM
Patrick Parish - Elite Duathlete of the Year HM
Diane Hankee - Duathlete of the Year HM (YndeCam Photo L)
Tony Schiller - Master of the Year HM
Kevin O'Connor - Master Duathlete of the Year HM
HEATHER'S DEBUT - Heather Lendway's pro debut was yesterday in the Orlando suburb of Clermont. Lendway placed 10th at the draft-legal CAMTRI-Clermont Sprint. She will be blogging about the experience soon and MTN will repost. Stay tuned for that. RESULTS ....(More Stuff on Page 2)
Broken Reverse Aquathlon...
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Tuesday, 10 February 2015 06:10
Photo - This pic is unrelated to this post. It's here because we think it's cool, and because it makes Heather look like a nun.
By Heather Lendway (heatherlendway.com)
This past Saturday (Jan. 24 I raced the 10K at the Securian Winter Run in downtown St. Paul. As it’s about time to start gearing up the training for the season it was a good opportunity to see where my run performance is at. I had raced the half marathon twice in the past; both times it was near zero degree temps. I was overjoyed when the temperatures for Saturday were predicted to be in the low 30’s with no snow, so the roads would be clear and my muscles and breathing wouldn’t be affected by ridiculous cold. Saturday was beautiful, mid 30’s and sunny; I actually think I got a little tan on my face, no complaints! The half marathon went off at 9am and the 10K group followed five minutes later. The course starts winding you up and down through downtown St. Paul for two miles, then the course heads down to the river for a few miles with the last mile weaving you back through downtown to the finish line....
Cutting Them Some Slack...
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Tuesday, 03 February 2015 00:10
By Jessica Rossing
La Habana Triathlon race report.
It’s late Friday night, the night before the race, and I am lying in bed happy and full from a great gourmet meal that only cost $25. (Most things are very inexpensive in Cuba) My race bag is packed and I am visualizing each part of the race as I fall asleep. I wake up around 8a to an overcast and very humid morning. It’s been predicted to rain all day, but I’m optimistic and have a good feeling the rain is going to hold off and it’s going to be a perfect day to race. My house host (Matilde) lets us know that breakfast is ready so three other American athletes and myself sit down to eat. We are served lots of fruit, a smoothie, veggies, and an omelette. Once we finish eating we get our things together, get our bikes and start our ride to the race site.
The race site is about 12K from Casa Matilde’s and we have to ride through the city and lots of traffic to get to the venue. Within 10 minutes of our ride I am sweating, the air is so thick, you can feel the storm coming. It feels like at any moment the humidity is going to break and the storm is going to unleash. But, I am still optimistic that it’ll hold out untill we are done racing....
Whip Cream Hand-Ups & Confused Legs...
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Friday, 30 January 2015 06:10
By Lisa Lendway
I have a problem. I’m absolutely addicted to competition, and I think it’s at its worst. Usually at the end of the triathlon season, I’m ready for a little break, but this year was different. I immediately started thinking about the 2015 season and anxiously waited for the local races to finalize their race weekends. My schedule for the year has been more or less set since November. And, I have to say, the main reason I get so excited to compete is because of all of the great people who are there with me. Yep, that’s all of you. So, thanks for fueling my fire.
So, what to do until the season starts … I did give myself a little break from triathlon. I dabbled in cyclocross racing, which was more than a little fun. If you don’t know what it is, google it. I mean, where else can you get whip cream hand-ups (Photo below) in a race, right? You might even spot World Champion Triathlete Gwen Jorgensen at some races! I also did my first half marathon. I made a deal with my body that I’d do that before doing a half Ironman. It was weird to do just a running race. I think my legs were a little confused about not feeling like jelly for the first mile. But I finished and I LIKED it! I plan to do at least one more running race this winter.
For the first time ever, I’ve also participated in some indoor triathlons. After competing at the YWCA Women’s Tri this summer, I was excited to participate in another event run by Nicole Cueno. So, I signed up for the YWCA indoor tri in December. As expected, it was well-run and loads of fun. The weirdest part was riding on the Keiser bikes, where the miles rack up faster the faster you spin. So, I think I covered “12 miles” in roughly 18...
